Inferno: A Devil Chaser's MC Romance (18 page)

“I hope you’ll remember that when things get crazy. Having three kids under one roof is gonna be tough.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Now, stop worrying about all this and get some rest. We’ll get you settled tomorrow, and the kids can come at the end of the week when you’re feeling better.”

“Okay.” Tessa said as she began to settle into her pillow.

“I love ya.” Bishop said kissing her lightly on her lips.

“I love you, more.” Tessa replied as she closed her eyes. She quickly fell back to sleep with Bishop sitting by her side.

Chapter 27

Tessa

“This place is awesome! I’d move in here any day!” Courtney said with enthusiasm. “Did you see how he fixed up the room for Izzie? She’s going to go nuts over it. You know how she loves all that chevron stuff. It’s so cute.”

“He was really sweet to do all that for her. The boys’ room looks great, too. Drake’s going to love the fishing theme and the new Xbox. He’ll never want to leave that room,” Tessa said with a smile. She was in the bed resting in Bishop’s bedroom. He had a king size sleigh bed with a matching dresser and end tables. There was a large flatscreen TV mounted on the wall and several masculine pictures hanging above the bed. “I’m going to have to do a little bit to this room, though.”

“Yeah, it kinda has that den of sin feel to it. It needs a feminine touch. It’ll give you something to think about while you’re all laid up for the next week or so.”

“Where are the guys?” Tessa asked.

“They’re over at the garage. They’re adding the final touches to the new garage. I think it’s almost finished. Bobby is really excited about it. He’s going to be the one that adds the electronics to the cars they’re working on.”

“I think he’ll be really good at that. How are things going with you and Bobby?”

“I think he’s pretty great. He never fusses about how much I talk like
some people
I know. And he’s an amazing kisser! I really like him, like a lot.” Courtney said with a huge grin.

“I hope things work out with you two. He seems like a really nice guy. Do you know when my mom is bringing the kids?”

“I think they’re coming tomorrow afternoon. They’re going to the zoo today, and then they’re going to watch that new kid’s movie,
Earth to
Echo
.”

“Good. I’m ready to see them. I miss them so much. Do you mind giving me some of my pain medicine? It’s on the dresser by the TV.”

“Sure. And I’ll tell Bishop that it’s time to change your bandages when he gets back,” Courtney said reaching for the bottle of medicine. “Are you healing up okay?”

“I think so. I try not to look at my stiches while he’s changing my bandages. It still freaks me out. I’d rather not even look until I have to.”

“Are you handling everything okay? That deal with your brother is bound to have you all messed up in the head.”

“I’m trying not to think about it too much. I focus on the fact that Cole was there when I needed him. I wish things could have been different. There was a time when my brother was my best friend. He would have done anything for me, and I hate that the drugs changed him so much,” Tessa said as a tear rolled down her check.

“You know I’m here if you ever need to talk about it, Tessa. Don’t bottle it up inside. You gotta let that shit out, so it doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass later.”

“I will. I’m just not ready to talk about it,” Tessa answered.

“Okay. Get some rest. I’ll send Bishop up when he gets back. Holler if you need anything.”
 

Tessa tried to close her eyes to sleep, but she couldn’t get Sam’s face out of her mind. She still couldn’t handle all the damage her brother had caused. She had lost her home and almost her life because of the choices he had made. Bishop had been dealing with him for weeks, and she’d never even realized it was her brother that was causing all the trouble. She couldn’t believe how much he had changed over the years. He didn’t even look like the same person with his Diablo’s cut and slicked back hair.

She was deep in thought when Bishop walked into the room. She was staring out the window when he said, “Are you okay?”

Her body jerked in fear as she turned to face him. “Shit! You scared me!”

She wiped her hand over her face and rubbed the tears out of her eyes. “I didn’t even hear you come up the stairs.”

“I was trying to be quiet in case you were asleep. It’s time to change your bandages, but I can do it a little later if you wanna wait.”

“No, it’s fine. We can change them,” Tessa replied quietly.

Bishop began assembling the bandages and ointment he would need to redo them. He was always careful to do it just the way the doctor showed him to.

“How’s the garage coming? Courtney said they’re almost finished.”

He continued to lay out her dressings as he said, “Yeah, they’re almost done. We ordered some new equipment that should be here late tomorrow afternoon. That’ll need to be installed before we can open that part of the garage. Once that’s done, we should be ready to go.”

Tessa slowly lifted her t-shirt so Bishop could remove the old bandages. The expression on his face never faltered as removed the bandages and checked her wounds. He gently pulled the tape free as his calloused fingers lightly brushed across her delicate skin.

She missed the warmth of his touch. It would be a while before they could be intimate again, but she worried that he might not find her attractive anymore. The doctor had told her the scars from the bullet wound on her chest and back would be faint, but they would always be there as a reminder of what happened to her. Without realizing she was crying, tears began to stream down her face.

“Damn baby, did I hurt you?” Bishop asked with concern in his voice.

“No, not at all. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

He sat there silently for a moment before he shook his head and said, “Don’t do that, Tess. If you have something that’s weighing on your mind, I want you to tell me about it.”

Tessa sat silently for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. Tears continued to flow down her check as she thought about their future.

Tessa’s hand reached up to her chest as she said, “Cole… these scars are never going away. They’re always going to be there. They’re going to remind you of what my brother did every time we make love. You’re not going to want to be with me if you have to look at these damn scars every time I take my clothes off.”

“Are you being serious right now? Do you really think I give a damn about those fucking scars? You have a beautiful body Tessa, but that isn’t the only thing I love about you.”

He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “You don’t realize how amazing and special you really are. People gravitate to you. You love with all of your heart, and you don’t hold back with your children, your friends, or even the students in your class.”

Tears continued to fall from Tessa’s eyes as Bishop kept talking. “Your smile lights up a room, and you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. You’ve got nothing to worry about, Tess. There’s no way I won’t find you sexy as hell, and I’ll prove it to you as soon as you get better.” He reached out and gently pulled her closer to him. His lips pressed against her mouth. His tongue explored her mouth as her moan vibrated through her chest. He pulled away from the kiss and stared at her with lust in his eyes.

“I love you, Cole.”

“I love you, too. I’m going to get Courtney and Bobby to go rent us a movie. I’ll get dinner, and we’ll watch some stupid chick flick to get your mind off things. Now, let me finish changing these, so we can get you in a better mood,” Bishop said with a smile.

“That sounds like a great plan. Tell them to get something funny. I really need a good laugh.”

“You got it.”

Chapter 28

Bishop

Bobby pulled through with the movie. They rented
Ride Along,
and Tessa laughed so hard, Bishop worried she might bust her stitches. They ate Chinese food and spent the night in his room watching movies and talking. He could tell she was feeling better about things, and he hoped seeing her kids would help her even more.

Tessa’s mother rang the doorbell around noon the following day. She brought the kids and some of her old clothes she thought Tessa might need. She had a worried look in her eyes as she entered the house.

“How’s she doing? Is she ready to have the kids here? I can keep them a little while longer if she needs me to,” she told him.

“I think she’s ready for them to be here. She’s come a long way since Sunday. It’s been almost a week, and she’s getting back to her old self. She’s been up and walking around for the past couple of days. I know she’s been missing the kids. It’ll be good for her to have them here.”

Drake and Isabelle rushed into the house. “This place is awesome!” Drake shouted. “You’ve got a pond and everything! Are we really gonna stay here?”

“That’s the plan. I got you set up downstairs in Myles’s room for now. Isabelle, your room is upstairs next to mine. You can go check it out if you want to. You can go show your grandmother. Your mom is waiting for you, so don’t be long.”

The kids raced to their new rooms. The sounds of their excitement drew Tessa out of the bedroom. “Hey guys! What do you think?” Tessa said as she walked into Isabelle’s new room.

“It’s so pretty, Momma. I love it!” Isabelle jumped up and down, thrilled with her new room. She ran over to Tessa and gave her a big hug.

“Easy there, darling. Your mom is still sore from her boo boos. You need to be careful with her for a few days,” Tessa’s mother tried to explain.

“Oh no…I forgot. I’m sorry, Momma. Did I hurt you?” Isabelle said with concern in her eyes.

“No, sweetheart. I’m feeling much better now. I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you so much! Did you have fun at Grandmomma’s house?”

“Yes! We did all kinds of stuff. We even went to the zoo. It started to rain, but we got these cool ponchos to keep us from getting all wet.”

“That’s great. I’m glad you had a good time. We’re going to a cookout later tonight at Bishop’s clubhouse. Why don’t you put your things away, and I’ll come get you when it’s time to go.”

“Okay. Can I put my clothes in here? Are we really going to stay here, Momma?”

“Yes. We’re going to stay here for now. I think you’ll like it here. Maybe you could go fishing at the pond tomorrow with the boys.”

“Awesome!” Isabelle said as she began to unzip her bags.

Tessa showed her mother around the rest of the house. Her mother was concerned about how quickly things were moving with Bishop, but Tessa reassured her that things were going to work out. She was in love with him, and she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be. Before her mother left, she gave her a hug and promised to call her later in the week.

Bishop was putting drinks in the cooler when Tessa walked into the kitchen. He was gathering the things they would need to take to the cookout. Bishop thought it would be a good idea to get Tessa out of the house for some fun. Courtney would be there with Bobby, and he thought she would enjoy spending some time with them.

“You about ready?” Bishop asked her.

“I’m ready when you are. The kids are excited about it. Myles showed them the fireworks you bought for them.”

“Great. We won’t stay long. I don’t want you to overdo it. We’ll eat and hang out a bit. You let me know when you’re ready to come back.”

“I’ll be fine. Stop worrying so much. Let’s go have a good time.” Tessa helped him gather the chips and buns and headed over to the clubhouse. It wasn’t far from the house, so they decided to just walk over.

Doc was already grilling burgers and hotdogs when they walked up. Several of the guys were standing around talking outside. Bishop put down the cooler of sodas and went over to talk to them. Tessa went inside to see if Courtney was there.

She was sitting at the bar alone when Tessa walked in. “What are you doing in here by yourself? I thought you were going to be here with Bobby.”

Courtney gave her the ‘
I’m pissed so don’t ask’
look. “I don’t know where he went off to, and I really don’t care,” she said, obviously upset about something.
“So, what’s the deal with the chicks around here? What the hell is a
Fallen
girl? Where exactly did they
fall
from?” She said sarcastically. “How do you stand knowing those kinds of girls are always hanging around here? It’s fucked up.”

“It’s all new to me, too. Bishop tried to explain it to me, and it bothered me too, at first. I trust him and know that he won’t mess around with them anymore. They’ve been really nice and helped me get things ready for the kids to move in. Give them a chance. You’ve got to be able to trust Bobby. If he’s really the guy for you, then these girls won’t matter anyway.”

“I know you’re right, but if that Cindy chick puts her hands on him one more damn time,
I am gonna
cut
her
!”